Dhaka: The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has issued a caution against admissions to three fake foreign university branch campuses in Bangladesh. The universities identified are America World University, USA; Trinity University, USA; and Spiritual Institute of New York, as stated in a press release received today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the UGC reported that these universities have not been approved by the government or the commission. The commission’s awareness was raised when Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited sought verification of credentials for two students from America World University, USA, and Trinity University, USA. This inquiry led to the discovery of the activities of these unauthorized branch campuses.
It is noteworthy that the list of proposed universities submitted by the commission to the ministry did not include any project proposals for these entities. Various media outlets have highlighted the operation of unapproved branch campuses, tutorial centers, and study centers of foreign universities in the country.
The UGC emphasized that most of these entities are unauthorized and are awarding degrees such as Bachelor, Master, MPH, MBA, MPhil, and PhD, which the commission deems illegal according to the law. Students are reportedly obtaining certificates from these unauthorized institutions in exchange for money, leading to instances of fraud.
In response, the UGC has recently reached out to the Home Ministry, the Education Ministry, and the Anti-Corruption Commission, urging them to take effective actions against these fraudulent universities.